February24, 2007:
Over 3,000 Maoists fighters have left their camps. The Maoists say
they want to find work, to earn money for improving conditions in the camps.
But the government gave the Maoist leadership money for running the
camps, and accuses the Maoists of mishandling that money.
February
23, 2007: The ethnic violence in the south now includes Maoists (or
"ex-Maoists" as the ceasefire has all official Maoist fighters in
temporary camps). The ethnic Indians in the south have had several clashes with
Maoists over control of roads (the ethnic Indians are setting up
roadblocks.)
February
22, 2007: Maoist leaders are now promising redistribution of land (taking
it from large landowners and giving it to those share cropping farmers with
none.) This is an old communist trick. The small farmers will own their land
only until the Maoists are in power, then all land will be taken over by the
state, and organized into collective farms. But the "redistribution of
land" pitch is often used to get the poor farmers to support putting the
communists in power.
February
21, 2007: In the south, over 500 Maoists left their camp, citing poor food and
living conditions.
February
19, 2007: The UN has completed registering the Maoist troops, and locking up
their 3,428 weapons (which are guarded by the army and UN observers). The
number of weapons is low, leading to suspicions that the Maoists have hidden
most of their weapons. The 30,582 Maoist fighters are to be housed in 28 camps
around the country, where they will be fed at government expense until after
the June elections.
February
18, 2007: Thousands of Hindus held a demonstration in the capital, protesting
against the decision to declare Nepal a secular state. Currently, the country
is officially described as a Hindu state, the only one in the world. The
Maoists have insisted on demoting religion, and Hindus threaten to resort to
violence to oppose the change..
February
17, 2007: The Maoists now insist on getting control of some of the government
ministries, or there won't be any elections in June. The 83 Maoist members of
the interim parliament were not elected, but appointed, and few of them have
any experience in democratic government. The Maoists are also insisting the
monarchy be abolished right away.